Ensworth has named longtime college basketball coach Sharrona Reaves, former Oakland High star and Tennessee Lady Vols assistant, as his next coach.
Reaves replaces Mary Taylor Cowles, who resigned in April after nine seasons at the school. Cowles, a former Western Kentucky women’s coach, returned to Kentucky to become athletic director and women’s basketball coach at Foundation Christian Academy in Bowling Green.
“I am deeply honored to be named Ensworth coach,” Reaves said in a statement. “This program has always been known for winning championships and my intention is to continue the legacy and respect built by Mary Cowles.”
Cowles won four TSSAA Division II-AA state championships with the Lady Tigers and finished with a 200-48 record. Ensworth went 16-11 last season. The program has seven state titles and five state runner-up finishes.
Reaves is a former Division I women’s basketball coach and recruiter with over 20 years of experience. Reaves joined the Tennessee women’s program in 2016 as an assistant and recruiting coordinator under Holly Warlick. Reaves’ work in 2017 landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for the Lady Vols. She then recruited the No. 4 ranked group in 2018 and the No. 8 in 2019.
Reaves also spent three seasons at West Virginia as an assistant in charge of recruiting. During his time in Morgantown, the Mountaineers had a 78-30 record, a Big 12 regular season title, a No. 2 seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, and a 30-5 record for the 2013 season. 14. Coach Reaves was instrumental in helping develop the program’s top-ranked WNBA Draft pick, Bria Holmes, in 2016.
“Sharrona brings a wealth of experience to our program and her passion for basketball is undeniable,” said Ensworth athletic director Jason Maxwell. “Sharrona is a person of great integrity and she will continue the tradition of excellence established by her predecessor, Mary Cowles.”
Reaves has also served as head coach at Long Island University’s CW Post, College of Central Florida, as well as assistant coaching roles at Mississippi State and Troy University. Mississippi State advanced to the 2010 NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
During his time at Post, Reaves led the Pioneers to the East Coast Conference Championship game and two consecutive winning seasons (2006-07 and 2007-08), his first consecutive winning seasons in 14 years. At Troy, the team won its first Mid-Continent Conference Championship (1997) and made the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Murfreesboro native played at Oakland before earning her bachelor’s degree at Alabama, where she played basketball and helped lead the Crimson Tide to two NCAA Tournament appearances, including the Sweet 16 in 1992-93 and the Final Four in 1993-94. .
Contact sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on platform X (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.
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